Former undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev, however, believes a different fight could have happened following Benavidez’s victory over Yarde.

“Benavidez is the type of guy who talks a lot. [I think] his boxing is dirty, and [that] some of his wins are questionable.

“I agreed to fight him after [his victory over Yarde]. His team apparently didn’t expect me to agree so quickly, so they immediately changed their mind and chose Ramirez,” Beterbiev said during an interview with MatchTV, with the remarks later reposted by Ring Magazine.

Rather than facing Beterbiev, Benavidez ultimately moved forward with a showdown against Ramirez. The fight resulted in one of the most significant victories of his career, as he stopped the previously unified cruiserweight champion and added two world titles to his collection.

Beterbiev and Benavidez never shared the ring, but the former champion’s comments suggest he remains unconvinced by some of the praise surrounding Benavidez’s recent success.

Benavidez remains undefeated and in possession of the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles, while speculation continues regarding who he could face next.